Rain
by Sscullys
Summary: In the rain, Renji muses about the past and the previous fight with the quincies, while he worries about the current condition of his captain. Byaren one-shot .


**This was largely inspired by the images (and images solely) in Manbo dj story "Rain". It's the first time I write the pair being driven by the feelings conveyed by images, so please comment if you like this.**

The rain was pouring down his body relentlessly, despite the hot temperatures baffling the Soul Society in the last few weeks. It was as thought the sky, or maybe the Soul King, wished to solve any memory of the tragedy by washing everything away. But there are those that don't wish to forget. Only get stronger…and seek revenge.

The tree hollows at his feet were already disappearing, not as fast as they were cut by the newly forged blade. As he looked down to sheet his zanpakuto, the shinigami realized he was bleeding from a small slash at the back of his right hand. It didn't hurt, that's why he was not even aware of contracting the wound, but the blood was running in rivulets in his upper arm, mingled with the rain. He sighted and closed his dark hazelnut eyes.

"Pff…only the lowest of hollows and I still got scratched…" he thought while licking the blood away. Then a memory of a long distant battle struck him right in his core. "A dog licking his own wounds…still the same rukon dog barking at the moon…after everything, I wonder if that it's what you would think…Captain Kuchiki". He let his knees touch the ground, as a more recent battle played on his mind. He saw again, helpless, paralysed, the smaller white body being sliced by the stolen blades of Senbonzakura and still trying to protect the lower, the weak. That's why he loved the man. Because despite his air of superiority, despite the floating high above in all his might, Kuchiki Byakuya protected the weak. But the redhead didn't want that protection, he swore to serve and protect his captain and that was how things should be.

Except…he couldn't do anything…only watch those petals encircle the beautiful frame of his superior and everything, their dreams, their hopes, their hearts fade to black.

In the unconsciousness that followed, he dreamed several times that Kuchiki Byakuya reiatsu was still there, still brushing his. Only in the spirit king dimension did he learn his captain was still alive, with good chances of recovering, but probably never his powers. That's when he did the oath to his soul. That he would grow even stronger, not to surpass his captain, but to fight for him, to protect him, to avenge him. He grabbed his head, letting the scream of frustration get out.

"This…this is not enough…if I let this shittys scratch me, without I realize…"

www

Kuchiki Byakuya kept reading reports all the afternoon. The reading glasses he had to wear now were just a mildly inconvenience. By the end of the day he was more tired than usual, but he was glad that was the only price he had to pay for his fight with As Nodt. The internal bleeding left his eyes affected to a level beyond repair, but thanks to Urahara special glasses he still could see and that was all he needed to sign reports. Since he had returned to Soul Society, after regaining his powers in the King's dimension, his lieutenant was treating him like a baby, tending to his every need and, your eyes may pop out of your orbits, doing his and his captain paperwork! It was a very perplexing behaviour, even for the redhead, who had the innate ability to mesmerize Kuchiki Byakuya in unimaginable, countless ways. But more than that, Kuchiki Byakuya didn't like and would not accept to be treated as "weak". He sighed and closed his still grey eyes for a second.

"I'll have to talk to him…this must stop!" Then suddenly he sensed the reiatsu of his second in command approach, but minutes passed and after half hour even the collected captain could not hold much longer his curiosity. He opened the sliding doors that lead to the gardens of the sixth division and stepped outside. The vision before him, although blurred by the droplets of water staining his special glasses, stole his breath away. The redhead stood amidst the heavy rain, the hakama hanging loose at his waist, as he let the cool droplets of water caress freely his manly facial features, the long extension of his red mane and his tanned, tattooed muscular body. His eyes closed, his lips smiling.

"What are you doing, Renji?" the captain asked, again bewildered, yet his surprise contained and well hidden.

"Can't you see what I am doing? I am cleaning up, I had a pretty nasty fight with 10 hollows, so …oh, sorry, I didn't mean…" Renji paralyzed as he realized the comment he just made.

"Of course not, and I can see perfectly fine with this glasses Renji. I can also see that you are enjoying yourself. Why, I don't know, but you surely didn't kill 10 hollows. That I know with certainty." Byakuya replied.

"Hum…yeah, that's what I just realized. I came back here worried about you, about me, but then you were peacefully doing paperwork. As ever. And I, instead of helping you, was out there kicking some ass and sulking, because I am still not as strong as I wish to be. And I realized that you still can know how much hollows I killed, because you can sense reiatsu as far as the human world, when I suck at it. Nothing changed. The only thing different are those stylish and sexy glasses on your pretty nose and they don't mean a fuck. You still can kick the shit out off me in a blink, you can even do that with your eyes closed. I…I am sorry if I offended you with my overprotectiveness Captain…" the redhead explained, still facing the sky, smiling.

Byakuya stood quiet for several seconds, feeling his clothes and hair go damp while Renji's words sinked in.

"That's hardly appropriate language Lieutenant, but I'll accept your apologies. Now, if you wish to continue here kissing the rain, me and my pretty nose shall go back inside before these stylish and sexy glasses are rui…what's the matter?" the brunet captain pupils dilated as Renji suddenly serious gaze dropped on him rapaciously.

"Will you take them off?" the redhead questioned while approaching his superior.

"The glasses!?" Byakuya reflexively adjusted the metal frame to his face, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yeah…tell me captain" he asked, mere centimetres away from the other male face "do you see me the way you used too? Or is the image given by that tool different?" he run a wet thumb over Byakuya cheek, caressing it.

"What are you doing? We are in the sixth headquarters, we already spoke about this…" he hissed.

"Relax. Is late afternoon, it's Friday and it's raining buckets of water over Sereitei. Do you really think someone's around?" Renji whispered, curling his tongue around the cold thin metal and pulling the glasses off with his mouth. "If I was to let these drop…" he grinned as Byakuya's hand gripped Senbonzakura.

"Do you want to try my new shikai Renji?" Byakuya whispered back, his blind eyes gazing the distance, his lips lightly touching the other's while he spoke. Then suddenly he found himself looking into brown yes that smiled back at him. "I…I can see you…how?" And then he realized. The rain, the tick heavy rain against Renji's leaking reiatsu. Containing it, cooling it against Renji skin…he, a master at reading reiatsu, tracing its contours to perfection.

"Now who's kissing the rain, huh Byakuya?" Renji asked softly, nuzzling his lover jaw.

Byakuya smiled, a thing he didn't do very often. "You couldn't possibly know that…"

"No, I just wanted to look into your eyes…they still are the most beautiful eyes I ever seen…" And saying that, Renji pulled the slender body to a tight hug and a tender kiss.

www

Rikichi jumped across a stray pool of water, chasing the butterfly. He was soaked, but he could not go home without catching it. The butterfly message was not for the high ranks, yet the stupid creature was heading for the commanding building and to Rikichi utter despair, captaincy office.

"Ah, ah, By…" a sound perceived thru the rain made him stop. Was that lieutenant Abarai voice?

"my new tattoos…ah…"

"Wow, Renji-san is doing more tattoos! Cool! I can't go there though…he may not like me interrupting…" Rikichi walked away, glad the butterfly would be intercepted by Renji and not captain Kuchiki.

www

"My new tattoos…ah…do you feel them…with your…oh God!" Renji gasped as Byakuya traced the pulsing member with his hot tongue. To tell the truth, the captain was very entranced with the new markings Zabimaru had imprinted in his redhead. Without stopping the pleasant activity he lifted a finger towards to waiting butterfly.

"Sugar: five bags required; tea: two bags; salt: one bag; butter cookies: two bags; spicy cookies: one bag." the alien voice delivered.

"Renji…" Byakuya said amused "as much as you like making love listening and watching the rain, I think it's advisable to close the garden doors…before the hygiene list arrives..."

Renji laughed. Nothing changed and he would not let anything change except his rising power. The dirt would be taken away with the flow and Sereitei would shine again, renewed. But he would not forget. He let himself get lost in the paths of that body he knew by heart, while feeling Byakuya travel his. Silently, between screams of pleasure, the lieutenant of the sixth division thanked the rain.


End file.
